Ethnic Kurds, who make up the biggest ethnic minority group in Syria with a population of about two million, reside mostly in the eastern cities of Qamishli and Hasakah, in al-Hasakah province.

Since the country's protest movement began 18 months ago, Kurds have established political and armed groups to assert control over their cities in their aspirations for independence.

Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra reports on how the ethnic group is divided between supporters of the regime of Bashar al-Assad and backers of the opposition.